Thrust-bearing.



A. KINGSBURY.

THRUST BEARING.

/ IRITOR 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

P11-19111611 June 12, `1917.

am f/l/ WITNESSES VM J.

@7 Mvfue A. KINGSBURY.

THRUST BEARING. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6. 1916.

Patented June 12, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG. 7

Fm@ I S 1|:`

/e/ g l .ALBERT KINGSBURY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. i

THR'UST-BEARING.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT KINGSBURY, of the city of Pittsburgh, countyof Alllegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have -invented certain nevvand useful Improvements in Thrust-Bearings, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to thrust bearings and particularly to bearings ofthe 'shoe type which are arranged to operate in either direction ofshaft rotation.

One object of my invention is to provide a bearing of the aforesaidcharacter thatl example, by arranging the bearing to permit an initialmovement of the normally stationary member with the rotatable member,the rotatable member acquires sufficient momentum to materially assistin overcoming the starting friction.

Still another object is to provide a thrust.

bearing having a plurality of tiltable bearing shoes, a pair of pivotalsupports for each shoe, and means for circumferentially adjusting theshoes dependent upon the direction of shaft rotation to render the onelor the other of the pivots active.

Other objects and advantages of my invention Will be set forthhereinafter, and in order that my invention may be thoroughlyunderstood, I Will now proceed to describe the same in thefollowingspeciication and then point out the novel features thereof inappended claims.

Referring to the dravvings Figure 1 is a. sectional elevation, taken onthe line 1-1 of Fig. 2, of a bearing arranged and constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a partially sectional plan view of the relatively stationaryparts of the bearing, the shaft and thrust collar beingomit? ted andsome of the bearing shoes removed to disclose the supporting structure.

Figs.' y3 and- 4 are sectional views both Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented .nine i2, iai a.

Application filed August 16, 1916. Serial N o. 115,123.

taken on the lines 5*3 of Figs. 1 and 2 and illustrating the relation ofone of the shoes to its supports for opposite directions of shaftrotation.

- ig. 5 is a partial elevation looking in the direction of the arrow 5of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation corresponding to Fig. l, taken on theline 6 6 of Fig. 7, and

i Fig. 7 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 2, of a modified bearingstructure which also embodies my invention.-

Figs. 8 and 9 are views corresponding to Figs. 3 and 4, of the structureof Figs. 6 and 7.

In the structure illustrated in Figs. l to 5 inclusive, to Which specialreference may now be had, 10 is a shaft to which is secured a thrustblock 11. 12 is a stationary base or frame and 13 is a leveling WasherWhich is secured to the base by any suitable means such as bolts 14.Mounted upon the leveling Washer is an equalizing ring 15 having adownwardly extending lla-nge provided With notches 17 which are engagedby lugs 16 of the Washer.V -These members have coopera-ting sphericallycurved surfaces so that the equalizing ring may perform its function inaWell known manner.

Interposed ,between the thrust block 11 and the equalizing ring 15 are aplurality of vbearing balls 23 mounted on the ring, and

bearing shoes 18 which are preferably-faced With relatively vsoft metalas indicated at 19 and engage an annular bearing surfabe 20 of a thrustcollar 21. The collar is rotated with the shaft and With the block 11 onaccount of dowel pins 22 which extend from the collar into suitablerecesses in the block.

The shoes are spaced apart and uniformly distributed about they centerof the shaft 10 by a shoe cage 24 which, as clearly .shown in Fig. 2, iscomposed of a air of concentric rings 241424b joined by radial arms 24.

The bearing balls 23 are held in place by a ball cage 25 which issupported on a flange or iprojectionv26 of the equalizing ring 15.

s clearly shown in Figs. '3 and 4, each of the'shoes is provided with aWearing piece 27. preferably formed of hardened steel and held in placein any suitable manner, as for example, by screws 28.

'The equalizing ring 15 is also provided 110 With a plurality of Wearingpieces 29 Which are set'into suitablereoesses in its top sur- 24 has adownward projection 33 which, as

clearly shown in Fig. 5, extends between the lugs -31 of the cage 25.The arrangement of p rts is such that the shoe cage 24 and the ball cage25 are free to move independently ofthe equalizing ring 15 a distancelimited by the engagement of the lugs 33 and 31 witheach other and theylug 31 with one of g the shoulders 34 of the notch 32.

During the movements of the cages the shoes roll on the bearing balls 23and the bearing balls roll onthe equalizing ring 15. The ball cage 25obviously turns at one-half the speed of the shoe cage and the lugs 33and 31 and the notch 32 are arranged and proportioned accordingly.

During the movement above described, each of the shoes moves from aposition corresponding to Fig. 4 in which it is pivotally mounted on oneof the balls'23, to the posi- -tion ofMFig. 3 in which it is pivotallymounted on an adjacent bearing ball, the balls being arranged in groupsof two undereach shoe as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The arrows 35 and 36 of Figs. 3 and 4, indicate the direction of shaftrotation corresponding to the illustrated position of the shoe, andattention is directed to the fact that the shoe is tiltably mounted onthe forward ball of the pair in each case. The point of support is thusa little ahead of the center of the shoe and is in fact in the mostdesirable position for automatically producing and maintaining the oilfilm between" the bearing surfaces when the Yshaft and collar 21 are.rotating in either direction.

When the bearing is in operation the shoe cage and the ball cage aresubstantially at rest a'nd' the bearing-balls are not utilized exceptlas stationary supports. They are, therefore, subjected to a very slightwear, even though the bearing'sustains very high pressure.

When the shaft is operated in a reverse direction the shoes areautomatically adjusted to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

It is .therefore evident that the shoes are automatically supported withtheir pivots most advantageously positioned for either direction ofshaft rotation.

In addition to this function however, the rotating shaft and itsattached parts, fare free to start from rest with a minimum expenditureof energy because at starting the friction between the engaging surfacesof the shoes and the collar is relatively high and on the other hand thefriction ofthe ball bearings is very small; hence, the shoes iirsttravel with the collar for a limited distance permitting the rotatingparts to acquire sufcient momentum Ito easily overcome the Astartingfriction of the shoe surfaces when the shoe and .ball cages have reachedthe. limit of their movement.

Once the static friction of the Vshoes concharacters in all of theiigures.

In place of the wearing piece 27 each of parts being designated by thesame reference the shoes 18 in this modification is provided 4 with awearing piece 37 havin a down- Wardly extending central projection 38which limits the movement of the shoes relative to the rollers 39 onwhich the shoes are tiltably mounted as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9.The rollers 39 are rotatively supported in a cage 40 and arefrustoconical in Shape, tapering inwardly toward the center of theshaft. The shoes are held in position by a cage 41 which corresponds tothe cage 24 except that it has no lugs to coperate with theroller cage,the'projections 38 of thel shoes performing this function. The rollersare mounted on wearing members 42 having notches 43 to limit-themovement of the rollers and of the roller cage 41 relative to theequalizing ring 15 to which the wearing members are secured. Theoperation of this structure is vpractically the same as that of theprevious structure, the shoes moving from one of the rollers 39 to theadjacent roller when the bearing is reversed in direction.

What I claim is: y

1. A bearing comprising a tiltable bearing shoe, a plurality of memberseach adapted to pivotally support said shoe, and means for selecting oneof said pivot members.

2..A thrust bearing comprising a tiltable bearing shoe, a plurality ofmembers each adapted to pivotally support said shoe, and meansautomatically dependent upon the direction 'of bearing operation forselecting one of said pivot members.

3. A thrust bearing comprising a plurality of tiltable bearing shoes, apair of pivotal members for each shoe, each member being adapted topivotally support the shoe, and means for selecting a correspond- 1545 lbeing adapted to constitute a pivot for one of the shoes, and meansautomatically dependent upon the direction of bearing rotation forselecting a corresponding rolling ybearing for each shoe.

5. A thrust bearing comprising a rotatable member having an annularbearing surface, a plurality of bearing. shoes having coperating bearingsurfaces, a pair of rolling bearing members for eachr shoe, and meansfor permitting a rotative movement of the shoes relative to the rollingbearings, whereby the shoes may be selectively pivoted on one or theother of its rolling bearin s.

A bearing comprising a tiltable bearing shoe, means for supporting theshoe on either side of its center in the line of bearing movement.

7. A bearing comprising a tiltable bearing shoe, means for supportingthe shoe on either side of itscenter in the'line of bearing movement,and means dependent upon surface,

tively actuating said means.

8. A thrust bearingv comprising a rota-v plurality of bearing shoescoperatingwit the annular bearing surface, and means automaticallydependent upon the direction of rotation for pivotally supporting theshoes in advance of their centers in the table mealber having an annularbearing line-of bearing movement.

9. A' thrust bearing comprising a rotatable member `having an annularbearing Surface, a plurality of bearing shoes coperating therewith, ashoe cage loosely holding the shoes in position, a pair of pivot bearingmembers for each shoe and means for permitting arotative movement of theshoe cage and shoes, to shift each shoe from one pivot bearing member toanother.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 5th day of August,1916.

ALBERT KINGSBURY.

